Electric cars, now a prominent part of the automotive landscape, might seem like a modern invention. However, their roots stretch back over a century, intertwining with the very beginnings of personal transportation. As we navigate an era increasingly focused on sustainable solutions and reduced emissions, understanding the history of the First Electric Production Car provides valuable context and appreciation for today’s electric vehicle revolution.
The Genesis of Electric Mobility: 19th Century Innovation
The narrative of the electric car isn’t a tale of overnight success, but rather a gradual evolution fueled by numerous pioneering minds across different nations. The 1800s were a hotbed of technological advancement, witnessing crucial breakthroughs in battery technology and electric motors – the very components that would pave the way for the first electric production car.
Early experimentations with battery-powered vehicles emerged from innovators in Hungary, the Netherlands, and the United States. Figures like the Vermont blacksmith, whose name remains unfortunately unrecorded in mainstream history, explored the rudimentary concepts of electric propulsion, crafting some of the earliest, albeit small-scale, electric vehicles. Simultaneously, British inventor Robert Anderson is credited with developing a primitive electric carriage. Yet, it was the ingenuity of French and English inventors in the latter half of the 19th century that truly began to shape practical electric cars, moving closer to the idea of a first electric production car.
Across the Atlantic, in the United States, the late 1890s marked a significant milestone. William Morrison, a chemist residing in Des Moines, Iowa, unveiled what many consider to be America’s first electric production car. His six-passenger vehicle, capable of reaching a top speed of 14 miles per hour, might appear rudimentary by today’s standards – essentially an electrified wagon. However, its impact was undeniable. Morrison’s creation ignited public fascination and spurred further development in electric vehicle technology within the US.
Alt text: Vintage electric car, Detroit Electric model circa 1900, highlighting early automotive design and electric vehicle technology.
The subsequent years witnessed a surge in electric vehicle production from various nascent automakers throughout the United States. Electric taxis even became a common sight in New York City, with a fleet exceeding 60 vehicles. By the dawn of the 20th century, electric cars had reached their zenith. Astonishingly, they constituted approximately one-third of all vehicles traversing American roads. This initial decade of the 1900s saw continued robust sales, solidifying the electric car’s early dominance and establishing a foundation for what could be considered the era of the first electric production car boom.
The Dawn of the Automotive Age: Electric Cars vs. The Alternatives
To fully grasp the initial widespread acceptance of electric vehicles around 1900, it’s crucial to consider the broader context of personal transportation development and the competing technologies of the time. As the 20th century commenced, the horse remained the dominant mode of personal transport. However, burgeoning prosperity in America fueled a growing interest in newly invented motorized vehicles. Consumers had a choice: steam, gasoline, or electric.
Steam power was a well-established and reliable energy source, having proven its efficacy in powering factories and locomotives. Indeed, some of the earliest self-propelled vehicles in the late 1700s utilized steam. Yet, adapting steam technology for personal vehicles proved cumbersome. Steam cars were plagued by lengthy start-up procedures, sometimes requiring up to 45 minutes, particularly in cold weather. Frequent water refills were also necessary, severely limiting their operational range.
Simultaneously, gasoline-powered cars emerged as a viable alternative, thanks to advancements in internal combustion engine technology throughout the 19th century. While promising, early gasoline cars were far from user-friendly. Driving them demanded considerable physical exertion – gear changes were complex, and starting the engine required a hand crank, making operation challenging for some. Furthermore, they were notoriously noisy and produced unpleasant exhaust fumes.
Electric cars offered a compelling contrast. They sidestepped the drawbacks of both steam and gasoline vehicles. They were remarkably quiet, effortlessly drivable, and emitted no noxious pollutants – a significant advantage over their contemporaries. Urban dwellers, especially women, quickly embraced electric cars. They were ideally suited for short urban commutes, and the poor road conditions prevalent outside of cities restricted the practicality of any vehicle type for long-distance travel. As electricity access expanded into more homes in the 1910s, charging electric cars became increasingly convenient, further boosting their appeal across diverse demographics, even attracting the attention of “best known and prominent makers of gasoline cars,” as highlighted in a 1911 New York Times article.
Alt text: Historical image of a Detroit Electric car being charged, showcasing early electric vehicle charging infrastructure and technology.
The burgeoning demand for electric vehicles spurred innovators to refine the technology further. Ferdinand Porsche, the founder of the renowned sports car company, developed the P1 electric car in 1898. Around the same period, he conceived the world’s first hybrid electric car – a vehicle powered by a combination of electricity and a gasoline engine. Thomas Edison, a staunch advocate for electric technology, believed in the superiority of electric vehicles and dedicated his efforts to developing improved electric car batteries. Even Henry Ford, a contemporary and acquaintance of Edison, collaborated with him in 1914 to explore the feasibility of a low-cost electric car, as documented by Wired.
However, it was Henry Ford’s revolutionary mass-produced Model T that ultimately dealt a significant blow to the burgeoning electric car market. Introduced in 1908, the Model T democratized gasoline-powered cars, making them widely accessible and affordable. By 1912, the price of a gasoline car plummeted to just $650, while an electric roadster commanded a hefty $1,750. That same year, Charles Kettering unveiled the electric starter, eliminating the cumbersome hand crank and further propelling gasoline car sales.
Additional factors contributed to the electric car’s decline. By the 1920s, the United States had invested in a more extensive road network connecting cities, fueling Americans’ desire for long-distance travel. The discovery of abundant crude oil in Texas made gasoline cheap and readily available even in rural areas. Gas stations began to proliferate across the nation. In stark contrast, electricity remained scarce outside urban centers at that time. Consequently, electric vehicles gradually faded into obscurity, virtually disappearing by 1935.
Resurgence Amidst Crisis: Gas Shortages and Renewed Interest
For roughly three decades, electric vehicles entered a technological lull, experiencing minimal advancements. The confluence of inexpensive, plentiful gasoline and continuous improvements in internal combustion engines suppressed demand for alternative fuel vehicles.
The late 1960s and early 1970s witnessed a dramatic shift. Surging oil prices and acute gasoline shortages, culminating in the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo, ignited renewed interest in diminishing US dependence on foreign oil and exploring domestic fuel sources. The US Congress responded by enacting the Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1976, authorizing the Department of Energy to champion research and development in electric and hybrid vehicles.
This period also saw both major and minor automakers reassessing alternative fuel vehicle options, including electric cars. General Motors, for instance, developed a prototype urban electric car, showcased at the Environmental Protection Agency’s First Symposium on Low Pollution Power Systems Development in 1973. American Motor Company produced electric delivery jeeps, which the United States Postal Service evaluated in a 1975 pilot program. Even NASA contributed to elevating the electric vehicle’s profile when its electric Lunar rover became the first manned vehicle to traverse the moon in 1971.
Despite these efforts, the electric vehicles developed in the 1970s still suffered from performance limitations compared to gasoline counterparts. They typically achieved top speeds of only around 45 miles per hour, and their driving range was often limited to a mere 40 miles before requiring recharging.
Environmental Awakening: A New Era for Electric Vehicles
The 1990s ushered in another pivotal phase. In the two decades following the gasoline crises of the 1970s, public enthusiasm for electric vehicles had largely waned. However, new federal and state regulations began to reshape the landscape. The passage of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendment and the 1992 Energy Policy Act, coupled with stringent transportation emissions regulations mandated by the California Air Resources Board, spurred a resurgence of interest in electric vehicles within the United States.
During this era, automakers started adapting some of their existing popular models into electric variants. This resulted in electric vehicles achieving speeds and performance metrics much closer to gasoline-powered vehicles, with many boasting a range of approximately 60 miles.
One of the most iconic electric cars of this period was GM’s EV1, prominently featured in the 2006 documentary Who Killed the Electric Car? Unlike simply electrifying an existing model, GM undertook a ground-up design and development process for the EV1. With an 80-mile range and an impressive 0-50 mph acceleration time of just seven seconds, the EV1 quickly garnered a devoted following. However, due to high production costs, the EV1 never attained commercial viability, and GM discontinued it in 2001.
Amidst a thriving economy, an expanding middle class, and low gasoline prices in the late 1990s, fuel efficiency was not a primary concern for many consumers. Despite limited public attention on electric vehicles, behind the scenes, scientists and engineers, supported by the Department of Energy, diligently worked on advancing electric vehicle technology, particularly battery technology.
The 21st Century Electric Vehicle Renaissance
While the intermittent progress of the electric vehicle industry in the latter half of the 20th century demonstrated the technology’s potential, the true resurgence of electric vehicles commenced around the turn of the 21st century. Depending on perspective, either of two key events ignited the contemporary interest in electric vehicles.
Many point to the introduction of the Toyota Prius as the first catalyst. Launched in Japan in 1997, the Prius became the world’s first mass-produced hybrid electric vehicle. Its global release in 2000 resonated instantly, particularly with celebrities, significantly elevating the car’s profile. Toyota leveraged nickel metal hydride battery technology – research supported by the Department of Energy – to realize the Prius. Subsequently, escalating gasoline prices and growing anxieties about carbon emissions have propelled the Prius to become the best-selling hybrid globally over the past decade.
(Historical note: Prior to the Prius’s US debut, Honda launched the Insight hybrid in 1999, marking it as the first hybrid sold in the US since the early 1900s.)
The second transformative event was the 2006 announcement by Tesla Motors, a nascent Silicon Valley startup, of its intention to produce a luxury electric sports car capable of exceeding 200 miles on a single charge. In 2010, Tesla secured a $465 million loan from the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office – a loan Tesla repaid a full nine years ahead of schedule – to establish a manufacturing facility in California. In the ensuing years, Tesla has garnered widespread acclaim for its vehicles and become the largest auto industry employer in California.
Tesla’s announcement and subsequent success spurred major automakers to accelerate their own electric vehicle programs. In late 2010, the Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan LEAF were introduced to the US market. The Volt, the first commercially available plug-in hybrid, incorporates a gasoline engine to supplement its electric drive once the battery is depleted, enabling electric driving for most commutes with the reassurance of gasoline for extended range. Conversely, the LEAF is an all-electric vehicle (also termed battery-electric vehicle or EV), powered solely by an electric motor.
Alt text: Contemporary electric car, Nissan Leaf 2010 model, showcasing modern electric vehicle design and mass-market EV availability.
Over the following years, numerous other automakers introduced electric vehicles in the US. However, consumers still grappled with a lingering challenge from the early electric car era – public charging infrastructure. Through the Recovery Act, the Department of Energy invested over $115 million to facilitate the development of a nationwide charging infrastructure, deploying over 18,000 residential, commercial, and public chargers across the country. Automakers and private businesses also installed their own charging stations at strategic locations, bringing the current total of public electric vehicle chargers to over 8,000 locations with more than 20,000 outlets.
Concurrently, advancements in battery technology, supported by the Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office, began to permeate the market, enhancing the driving range of plug-in electric vehicles. Building upon the battery technology used in nearly all first-generation hybrids, Department of Energy research also contributed to the development of lithium-ion battery technology utilized in the Volt. More recently, the Department’s investment in battery research and development has facilitated a 50% reduction in electric vehicle battery costs over the past four years while simultaneously improving battery performance (power, energy, and durability). This cost reduction, in turn, has made electric vehicles more accessible to consumers.
Today, consumers enjoy an unprecedented array of electric vehicle choices. Currently, 23 plug-in electric and 36 hybrid models are available in various sizes, from the compact two-passenger Smart ED to the midsize Ford C-Max Energi and the luxury BMW i3 SUV. As gasoline prices continue their upward trajectory and electric vehicle prices become increasingly competitive, electric vehicles are gaining momentum, with over 234,000 plug-in electric vehicles and 3.3 million hybrids currently on US roads.
The Road Ahead: Electric Mobility’s Promising Future
Predicting the precise trajectory of electric vehicles remains challenging, but their potential to forge a more sustainable future is undeniable. Transitioning all light-duty vehicles in the US to hybrids or plug-in electric vehicles, leveraging current technology, could curtail our reliance on foreign oil by 30-60% while simultaneously reducing carbon emissions from the transportation sector by up to 20%.
To accelerate these emissions reductions, President Obama launched the EV Everywhere Grand Challenge in 2012 – a Department of Energy initiative uniting leading American scientists, engineers, and businesses to make plug-in electric vehicles as affordable as gasoline-powered vehicles by 2022. On the battery innovation front, the Department’s Joint Center for Energy Storage Research at Argonne National Laboratory is dedicated to overcoming the most formidable scientific and technical hurdles hindering large-scale battery improvements.
Furthermore, the Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) is pioneering groundbreaking technologies that could fundamentally reshape our perception of electric vehicles. From investing in novel battery chemistries capable of extending driving range to cost-effective alternatives to critical electric motor materials, ARPA-E’s projects hold the potential to revolutionize electric vehicles.
Ultimately, the future path of electric vehicles will unfold over time. However, their journey from the first electric production car to today’s increasingly sophisticated and accessible models demonstrates a remarkable evolution – a journey poised to reshape personal transportation and contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable world.
